Fast Coupes Of The Eighties And Nineties
Discussion
reddiesel said:
Panamax said:
What you really need is a Ford "Probe". Or perhaps not.
Few people will remember the Probe even existed in the 1990s. It was Ford's version of the Mazda MX-6 and a well styled 3-door FWD coupe with pop-up headlamps - so there should have been a lot to like. But everyone wanted a RWD 2-door BMW instead and sales fell way below Ford's expectations.
Mind you, Ford then followed up with the even less successful Cougar - essentially a Mondeo coupe.
My brother in law had a secondhand Probe a 16V model I believe . I think to the British Public they were just that bit too American in their execution . Dennis Hopper I think did the Cougar publicity on Television . Did Ford ever view these as a Capri successors ? The Public I think never did .Few people will remember the Probe even existed in the 1990s. It was Ford's version of the Mazda MX-6 and a well styled 3-door FWD coupe with pop-up headlamps - so there should have been a lot to like. But everyone wanted a RWD 2-door BMW instead and sales fell way below Ford's expectations.
Mind you, Ford then followed up with the even less successful Cougar - essentially a Mondeo coupe.
My own history from this era was:
Ford Capri.
Jaguar XJ-S (x2)
BMW 635CSi (x2)
Nissan 200SX (S13).
Honourable mention to my wife's bug eye Civic Coupe, and to my E30 320i, which whilst not a coupe was a 2 door saloon with sporty pretentions.
Some great cars came out then, and I think if Ford had stuck the Sierra Cosworth 4x4 running gear under the Probe it would have been a huge success as it was a pretty car.
Cars I should have owned but didn't include the Honda Prelude, Nissan 300ZX and the VW Corrado.
Ford Capri.
Jaguar XJ-S (x2)
BMW 635CSi (x2)
Nissan 200SX (S13).
Honourable mention to my wife's bug eye Civic Coupe, and to my E30 320i, which whilst not a coupe was a 2 door saloon with sporty pretentions.
Some great cars came out then, and I think if Ford had stuck the Sierra Cosworth 4x4 running gear under the Probe it would have been a huge success as it was a pretty car.
Cars I should have owned but didn't include the Honda Prelude, Nissan 300ZX and the VW Corrado.
4s n Zer0s said:
Was the SAAB 900 3door a coupe ?...well when it first appeared as a 99 it was named Combi coupe so nearly .
The 16V turbo in Aero form ,1984 launch , was a decent quick car .
Very expensive car in the day when new, took a lot of hours to make each one. Great cars though, back in the mid 80's I knew 3 people with Saab 900 Turbo's, 2 x were early flat front 8v T's, one 3-dr and one a 5-dr, and another person with a 900T16. Got to drive them on occasion, and 10 years later got to own one myself, although parents ended up with a 900S16v non-turbo some years earlier, and I still wish I'd taken the plunge and part ex'd mine for the mint 900 T16 Ruby edition just 6 months after I bought mine, but the extra on top of the loss on mine after just 6 months was too much to stomach at the time, hindsight man maths some nearly 30 years later reckons it would have been manageable The 16V turbo in Aero form ,1984 launch , was a decent quick car .
Panamax said:
What you really need is a Ford "Probe". Or perhaps not.
Few people will remember the Probe even existed in the 1990s. It was Ford's version of the Mazda MX-6 and a well styled 3-door FWD coupe with pop-up headlamps - so there should have been a lot to like. But everyone wanted a RWD 2-door BMW instead and sales fell way below Ford's expectations.
Mind you, Ford then followed up with the even less successful Cougar - essentially a Mondeo coupe.
I went S14 as it was a great bang-for-buck RWD coupe. Always lasted after a 328 coupe though. Few people will remember the Probe even existed in the 1990s. It was Ford's version of the Mazda MX-6 and a well styled 3-door FWD coupe with pop-up headlamps - so there should have been a lot to like. But everyone wanted a RWD 2-door BMW instead and sales fell way below Ford's expectations.
Mind you, Ford then followed up with the even less successful Cougar - essentially a Mondeo coupe.
Stick Legs said:
My own history from this era was:
Ford Capri.
Jaguar XJ-S (x2)
BMW 635CSi (x2)
Nissan 200SX (S13).
Honourable mention to my wife's bug eye Civic Coupe, and to my E30 320i, which whilst not a coupe was a 2 door saloon with sporty pretentions.
Some great cars came out then, and I think if Ford had stuck the Sierra Cosworth 4x4 running gear under the Probe it would have been a huge success as it was a pretty car.
Cars I should have owned but didn't include the Honda Prelude, Nissan 300ZX and the VW Corrado.
I remember Panther tried just that with the Solo but it was never as practical as the saloon with the same running gear ….. although a few journos quite liked the handling on one of the Autocar daysFord Capri.
Jaguar XJ-S (x2)
BMW 635CSi (x2)
Nissan 200SX (S13).
Honourable mention to my wife's bug eye Civic Coupe, and to my E30 320i, which whilst not a coupe was a 2 door saloon with sporty pretentions.
Some great cars came out then, and I think if Ford had stuck the Sierra Cosworth 4x4 running gear under the Probe it would have been a huge success as it was a pretty car.
Cars I should have owned but didn't include the Honda Prelude, Nissan 300ZX and the VW Corrado.
reddiesel said:
This surprised me a bit as I have a bit of form when it comes to Coupes having owned a 1994 Rover 220 Turbo back in the nineties which to be fair was pretty crap . I had lusted after a G60 Volkswagen Corrado but sadly at the time lacked the money the local Dealership was demanding so my quickest way to 200bhp was the cheaper Rover .These Coupes at the time were good for 150mph which was Cosworth territory and effectively beyond what most "hot hatches" were capable of yet even now they aren't big money . I don't believe my Headmaster friend is overly concerned with future values but what a lovely thing to have tucked away in the garage ?
A friend of mine owned a K reg Nightfire Red one.It was pretty quick to be fair and gave one of the early Dakar Yellow E36 M3s a serious scare on the local bypass late one summer evening. Long curving straights punctuated by fast roundabouts
The handling on it/front wheel snatch was improved enormously on it when a circlip caused the demise of the original box and a later 620ti type was used with a much friendlier Torsen diff - certainly a genuine 150mph car
s m said:
A friend of mine owned a K reg Nightfire Red one.
It was pretty quick to be fair and gave one of the early Dakar Yellow E36 M3s a serious scare on the local bypass late one summer evening. Long curving straights punctuated by fast roundabouts
The handling on it/front wheel snatch was improved enormously on it when a circlip caused the demise of the original box and a later 620ti type was used with a much friendlier Torsen diff - certainly a genuine 150mph car
I had it at an indicated 150mph on several occasions in the mid nineties until a driveshaft let go one night at speed and that frightened me .It was pretty quick to be fair and gave one of the early Dakar Yellow E36 M3s a serious scare on the local bypass late one summer evening. Long curving straights punctuated by fast roundabouts
The handling on it/front wheel snatch was improved enormously on it when a circlip caused the demise of the original box and a later 620ti type was used with a much friendlier Torsen diff - certainly a genuine 150mph car
I traded it for an E55 at Evans Mercedes who at that time were the Mercedes agent in Milton Keynes . I was out with an ebony beauty who I was dating at the time and we were both stunned to see the Rover labelled as "Car of the Week" on Evans forecourt . Great times .
I had a couple of Capri 2.8 Injections back in the 80s and loved them, but for some reason I went sensible with saloons afterwards. 
Then in the 90s my sister replaced her Cavalier family car with an 8V Calibra! It was a great car and she had it for quite a while until she went sensible too and got an Astra.
But there were some great Coupes in that era, things like Celicas, 200SX, Fiat Coupes, 924s, 944s, etc.
I'm on my 3rd 2006 BMW Z4 Coupe now - I just seem to be drawn to Coupes again!
Then in the 90s my sister replaced her Cavalier family car with an 8V Calibra! It was a great car and she had it for quite a while until she went sensible too and got an Astra.
But there were some great Coupes in that era, things like Celicas, 200SX, Fiat Coupes, 924s, 944s, etc.
I'm on my 3rd 2006 BMW Z4 Coupe now - I just seem to be drawn to Coupes again!
Alex Z said:
s m said:
mike9009 said:
I was never tempted by one but weren't the Rover Tomcats quite quick??
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